The Bum's 2018 NBA Trends/Stats/Best Bets Thru The Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 3, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Toronto Raptors San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:05 PM Denver Nuggets Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
10:35 PM Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


****************************


JANUARY'S OPINION AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

01/02/2019 13-5-0 72.22% +37.50
01/01/2019 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

Totals.............16-12-0.......57.14%...+14.00


NBA BEST BETS:

DATE......................ATS...................UN ITS...................O/U...................UNITS..............TOTAL


01/02/2019...........4 - 1..................+14.50...................6 - 2.................+19.00............+33.50
01/01/2019...........1 - 2...................-6.00.....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-12.00

Totals...................5 - 3...................+8.50....................7 - 4..................+13.00............+21.50

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

Odds for the PGA Tour event in Hawai’i this week:

Dustin Johnson +550

Jon Rahm +750

Justin Thomas +800

Brooks Koepka +900

Bryson Dechambeau, Rory McIlroy +1000

Jason Day +1200

Quote of the Day
“I still have a lot of time making the decision, working with my family and teammates and coaches to figure out what’s best for me. But right now I’m excited to get this win. Excited to leave Coach with this victory for myself and the rest of the teammates. It’s a blessed situation right now.”
Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins, on whether he’ll enter the NFL Draft this year

Thursday’s quiz
How many current NFL head coaches have won a Super Bowl as a HC?

Wednesday’s quiz
Russell Wilson was the only NFL QB to take every offensive snap for his team this season.

Tuesday’s quiz
Shaquille O’Neal played his college basketball at LSU.


Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Winner of the Westgate SuperBook handicapping contest this season won $1.422M Sunday night, when the Colts beat Tennessee, edging two entrants who both had Tennessee in that game- those two guys, who needed Blaine Gabbert to cover the spread in order to have a shot at the big prize, both banked $409,000.

Imagine being involved in a game with a $1M swing and your side’s QB is Blaine Gabbert????

12) Over last three years, Pac-12 teams are 7-15 vs spread in bowl games.

11) Bowl records by conference, with one game left:

Conference USA: 4-2
SEC 6-5
Big Ten: 5-4
Big 12: 4-3
Mountain West: 3-2
Sun Belt: 3-2
Independents: 2-1
ACC: 5-5
Pac-12: 3-4
AAC: 2-5
MAC: 1-5

10) Central Michigan and Texas were only college football teams not to have at least one offensive play of 50+ yards this season.

9) Texas 28, Georgia 21— Before this game Tuesday night, Texas mascot Bevo went after UGa, the Georgia mascot down in the Superdome, and that aggression carried over into the game.

Hard to tell if Georgia let down because they didn’t make the 4-team playoff. Tom Herman’s career record vs spread as an underdog is now 9-2-1.

8) Trailblazers won in OT at Sacramento Tuesday night; Portland’s Jusuf Nurkić came the first player since steals and blocks first became official stats in 1973 to have 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 5+ steals and 5+ blocks in same game.

7) Oft-injured SS Troy Tulowitzki signed with the Bronx baseball team; they will pay him $600K next year while Toronto pays him $17.4M a year for two years to play against them.

6) Texas Tech 62, West Virginia 59— This was a truly awful game; teams played hard, but they combined to go 8-37 on the arc. WVU was 18-32 on foul line in a 3-point loss— had to be a brutal game to ref— very physical, ton of missed shots. West Virginia’s guards aren’t good.

5) Maryland 74, Nebraska 72— Cornhuskers came in as the ranked team, left with a loss.

4) Seton Hall 80, Xavier 70— Solid conference road win for the Pirates.

3) I’m guessing NFL teams generally dislike being on HBO’s Hard Knocks. Coaches hate distractions, and TV cameras are a pretty big distraction. Here are three ways teams can get out of being on Hard Knocks:

— They have a first-year head coach.
— They were in the playoffs in the last two seasons.
— They’ve been on Hard Knocks in any of the last ten years.

Taking those rules into account, only five teams can be forced into being HBO’s focus next summer: 49ers, Raiders, Redskins, Giants and Lions.

2) NFL TV ratings were up 5% this season, good news for the league.

1) Rough couple of days for people passing away, especially for 76-year olds:
— Tyler Trent, 20, the Purdue fan who was an inspiration to so many the last few months, passed away from bone cancer over the weekend.
— Wrestling announcer Gene Okerlund, 76, passed away after a lengthy illness.
— Daryl Dragon, 76, the captain in Captain and Tennille, passed away on Monday.
— One of the most underrated funny men ever, Bob Einstein, passed away at age 76. Einstein was a talented comedy writer- he was in Oceans 13 among other movies. His character Super Dave, a knock-off of Evil Knievel’s daredevil antics, made people laugh for years.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Thursday
Chris David

Game of the Night (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)

Houston (21-15 SU, 18-17-1 ATS) at Golden State (25-13 SU, 16-22 ATS)

All eyes will be on Oracle Arena this Thursday as the Rockets will meet the Warriors in the Bay Area for the first time this season. BookMaker.eu opened Golden State as a healthy eight-point favorite and some bettors could be scratching their heads based on the current form of both teams.

Houston has quietly won five straight and 10 of its last 11 games. More importantly, the club has gone 9-1-1 against the spread during this run and the last five victories came without the services of point guard Chris Paul, who is still nursing a hamstring injury. While the Rockets have been hot, the Warriors are near the bottom of the league for bettors (16-22 ATS) this season and they’ve gone 8-12 ATS at home despite owning one of the best straight up home records (15-5).

The Warriors have won and covered their last two games, both decisions came by double digits and they were on the road. At home, Golden State has dropped its last two games from Oracle and its just 2-8 ATS in the last 10 contests from Oakland. Make a note that head coach Steve Kerr and company haven’t put together three straight wins since it ripped off four victories in a row in early December.

NBA handicapper Tony Mejia weighed in on the marquee matchup for Thursday.

He said, “Over James Harden’s last 10 games, he’s averaging 40.8 points per game and is the first player who has scored 30 or more in 10 consecutive contests since 2014. He’s averaged 8.9 assists in putting the Rockets on his back for wins in 10 of 11 and knows exactly what he’ll be facing here with Klay Thompson as a primary defender who will help try and steer him into other defenders. He shot just 8-for-23 in the only meeting against Golden State thus far, which included a 4-for-14 showing from 3-point range. Houston took advantage of Steph Curry’s absence and rolled 107-86, pulling away in the second half, but Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and James Ennis III all participated. It remains to be seen whether Mike D’Antoni will have any of the three available since Gordon and Ennis are close to a return. If the Rockets remain depleted, it will be easier for the Warriors to make Harden a distributor.”

There’s definitely a valid reason to stay away from the Rockets tonight and its directly attributed to its road mark. Houston has struggled away from the Toyota Center (10-8 SU, 8-10 ATS) this season and it’s just 3-7 in last 10 as a visitor.

Still, Harden has been on fire and nobody can dismiss Houston’s league-best record against winning teams (14-5) this season and eight of its last 10 came against clubs with .500 or better records.

Last season, Houston won two games at Oracle as a live underdog. It stunned the Warriors 122-121 on opening night with a late rally and it also captured Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals with a 95-92 win. The ‘under’ connected easily in that postseason game and the low side is on a 7-1 run in this series, which includes a 6-1 result in last year’s conference finals.


Toronto (28-11 SU, 16-22-1 ATS) at San Antonio (21-17 SU, 22-15 ATS)

The first game of the TNT double-header on Thursday also offers a lot of intrigue as Raptors small forward Kawhi Leonard will make his first trip back to San Antonio. Mejia offered up his thoughts on the possible drama from the AT&T Center. “Kawhi Leonard shot 17 free-throws in scoring a career-high 45 points in Toronto’s 122-116 over Utah on Tuesday, attacking the paint relentlessly despite the presence of elite defensive center Rudy Gobert,” said Mejia.

“He’s really been aggressive over the past few games and looks all the way back after missing most of last season, so Spurs fans will be able to boo an effort that helped carry them to another title in ’14. The manner in which he forced his way out of San Antonio ensures he isn’t going to get a fond welcome in his return, but you can expect him to handle the scorn like any other basketball-playing robot would. The Raptors have lost four of the last five road games that Leonard has participated in, but he’s averaged 28 points and 7.4 rebounds in those contests.”

San Antonio opened as a 1 ½-point home favorite for the matchup and it should receive plenty of support perhaps more for new Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, who was traded from Toronto for Leonard in the blockbuster deal last summer. The former USC standout has posted similar numbers in his first season with San Antonio but he still can’t buy a shot from 3-point land (17.5%) and surprisingly the Spurs lead the league from shooting percentage from distance (39.7%).

Support at home hasn’t been an issue recently for the Spurs, who have won and covered nine of their last 10 home games. The offense (118.1 PPG) and defense (101.4 PPG) have both been amazing during this stretch and two of their recent victories came against another pair of Eastern Conference contenders in the Celtics (120-111) and 76ers (123-96). Will the trend continue?

As Mejia noted, the Raptors have been in a funk on the road (1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS) and their only win was a two-point decision at Miami. Even though the club won’t have point guard Kyle Lowry (back) available, the confidence should still be high knowing they’ve gone 11-4 versus the West this season and that includes an impressive 7-2 mark on the road. The Spurs have gone 5-5 versus the East. At home versus the East, with the two aforementioned wins coming versus Boston and Philadelphia.

The home team has won the past three games in this series but all of the games were decided by four points or less.


Denver (24-11 SU, 19-16 ATS) at Sacramento (19-18 SU, 21-15-1 ATS)

The other game on tap for Thursday takes place from the Golden 1 Center in Northern California as Sacramento (+2 ½) will look to cool off Denver as a home underdog. The Nuggets have won seven of their last nine games and they currently own the best winning percentage in the West. However, Denver has been mired in a funk at the betting counter, dropping its last five games versus the number.

It’s also lost its last two games on the road and its record as a visitor (9-8) is much different than playing at the Pepsi Center (15-3) and that’s been a common theme for this club. A better barometer for me is what team’s doing against winning clubs and Denver (12-8) has answered the bell this season. The same can’t be said for Sacramento, who is 7-14 against teams above .500 while going 12-4 versus losing clubs.

The Kings have been better at home (10-8 SU, 11-6-1 ATS) this season but it enters this game with a pedestrian 5-5 record over the last 10 and the last three wins came by a combined seven points.

The Nuggets have won and covered six of the past seven encounters between the pair, which includes a 126-112 over Sacramento on Oct. 23 as an 11 ½-point favorite. The ‘over’ connected (228 ½) in that game and the number for this matchup opened a tad lower (227 ½). The Kings own the best ‘over’ mark (25-12) in the NBA but their total numbers have been a stalemate (9-9) at home. Denver has leaned to the ‘under’ (20-14-1) and that includes a 10-6-1 record away from home.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, January 3


Toronto @ San Antonio

Game 519-520
January 3, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
125.209
San Antonio
123.773
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 1 1/2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+1 1/2); Over

Denver @ Sacramento

Game 521-522
January 3, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
119.360
Sacramento
115.431
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 4
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 3
227 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(-3); Over

Houston @ Golden State

Game 523-524
January 3, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
118.556
Golden State
130.812
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12 1/2
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 8
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-8); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (28 - 11) at SAN ANTONIO (21 - 17) - 1/3/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1069-934 ATS (+41.6 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 846-719 ATS (+55.1 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 353-291 ATS (+32.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 4-0 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DENVER (24 - 11) at SACRAMENTO (19 - 18) - 1/3/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 6-3 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (21 - 15) at GOLDEN STATE (25 - 13) - 1/3/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after a division game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 61-77 ATS (-23.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-48 ATS (-19.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-7 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 3

This is Kawhi Leonard’s return to San Antonio. Toronto won five of last seven games, is 2-7 vs spread in last nine- they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five road games. Over is 4-3 in their last seven road games. San Antonio won 10 of its last 13 games; they’re 9-1 vs spread in last ten home games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Spurs won four of last five series games; Raptors are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to the Alamo. Three of last four series games stayed under.

Nuggets won last three games, but are 0-5 vs spread in last five; they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five road games. Five of their last six games went over. Sacramento is 3-5 in its last eight games, 5-3 vs spread in last eight home games. Over is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Denver won/covered six of last seven games with the Kings; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four trips to Sacramento. Three of last four series games went over.

Houston won 10 of its last 11 games; they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten road games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Golden State won six of its last nine games; they’re 2-12 vs spread in last 14 home games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Rockets/Warriors split their last ten games; Houston is 1-2 vs spread in last three visits to Bay Area. Eight of last nine series games stayed under.




NBA

Thursday, January 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toronto Raptors
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Toronto is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
San Antonio is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio's last 12 games
San Antonio is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home
San Antonio is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games at home
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
San Antonio is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Denver is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games
Denver is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Denver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games on the road
Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Sacramento
Denver is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Denver's last 16 games when playing Sacramento
Denver is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 12 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Sacramento's last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Sacramento's last 11 games at home
Sacramento is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Sacramento is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Sacramento's last 16 games when playing Denver
Sacramento is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Sacramento's last 12 games when playing at home against Denver

Houston Rockets
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Houston is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
Houston is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Houston is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
Golden State is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Golden State's last 12 games
Golden State is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Golden State is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games at home
Golden State is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Golden State is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Thursday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Spurs are 10-0 ATS (+11.75 ppg) when they are facing a team that is averaging more than 45 rebounds per game.


ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Rockets are 0-11 ATS (-14.36 ppg) with more than one day of rest off a home win and they are they are facing a team that is averaging 24-plus assists per game.


OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Kings are 12-0 OU (+10.96 ppg) as a dog with rest off a home game in which they rebounded less than 20% of their own misses and it is before the All-Star break.


OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Warriors are 0-12 OU (-16.00 ppg) at home off a 10+ win when they shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of their last two games.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at SA 08:00 PM
SA -3.0
U 217.5

DEN at SAC 10:00 PM
DEN -3.5
O 227.0

HOU at GS 10:30 PM
HOU +8.0
U 225.5

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:35 PM Utah Jazz Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
8:05 PM Brooklyn Nets Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
8:05 PM Dallas Mavericks Boston Celtics TD Garden
8:05 PM Indiana Pacers Chicago Bulls United Center
8:05 PM Orlando Magic Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
8:05 PM Washington Wizards Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
8:35 PM Atlanta Hawks Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
9:05 PM Los Angeles Clippers Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:35 PM New York Knicks Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center
10:35 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter


*****************************


JANUARY'S OPINION AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

01/03/2019 4-2-0 66.67% +900
01/02/2019 13-5-0 72.22% +37.50
01/01/2019 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

Totals.............20-14-0......58.82%...+23.00


NBA BEST BETS:

DATE......................ATS...................UN ITS...................O/U...................UNITS..............TOTAL

01/03/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00...................1 - 2.................-6.00...............+9.00
01/02/2019...........4 - 1..................+14.50...................6 - 2.................+19.00............+33.50
01/01/2019...........1 - 2...................-6.00.....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-12.00

Totals...................8 - 3...................+23.50..................8 - 6..................+7.00............+30.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Rockets 135, Warriors 134 OT— Harden made a contested 3-pointer with 0:01 left in OT for the win. He was double-teamed; just a really difficult shot, and he made it.

— NC State 87, Miami 82— Wolfpack is 13-1, their best start since 1973-74.

— Minnesota 59, Wisconsin 52— Gophers (+10) led 29-14 at halftime.

— North Texas 63, Louisiana Tech 59— Two of better teams in Conference USA.

— Detroit 79, Wright St 58— Titans’ Davis scored 48 points (10-15 on arc).

— Jacksonville St 83, Belmont 73— Gamecocks’ 4th strait upset win vs Belmont.


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) Manny Diaz was the defensive coordinator at Miami LY; he left couple weeks ago to be the head coach at Temple, but when Mark Richt retired/was fired last week, Diaz jumped ship with the Owls and was named HC of the Hurricanes.

Must have been some difficult conversations this week when Diaz then fired all the offensive coaches on the Miami staff, guys he worked with the last three years. Awkward.

12) Moving the college football national title game around the country may not be the best idea; college football is wildly popular in the south, not so much in the rest of the country. You get a Clemson-Alabama matchup in northern California and ticket demand isn’t what it would be anywhere from Texas to Georgia along the gulf coast.

11) The starting five for the Nevada Wolf Pack, a college team, is older than the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns, an NBA team.

10) Phillies signed reliever David Robertson to a two-year deal worth $23M.

9) Pelicans’ star Anthony Davis had 34 points and 26 rebounds Wednesday in a 126-121 loss to the Nets; the last NBA player to reach those numbers in a regulation loss was Charles Barkley for the Suns, way back on March 24, 1995.

8) Saint Louis loses 6-9 freshman Carte’Are Gordon to transfer; he was scoring 8.9 ppg for the Billikens, who are 9-4 and considered a contender for the A-14 title.

Oregon Ducks’ best player Bol Bol has a foot injury that has ended his season.

7) Couple of big comebacks Wednesday night:
— Bucknell beat Army 64-63 after trailing by 26 early in the 2nd half.
— Valparaiso beat Illinois State 58-56 on a halfcourt shot at the buzzer after trailing Redbirds by 10 points with 2:07 left.

6) Memphis Grizzlies lost 10 of their last 13 games and fell below .500 this week; after their home loss to Detroit Wednesday, teammates Garrett Temple and Omar Casspi apparently got into a scuffle in a team meeting. Grizzlies tried to keep the fracas quiet, but somebody spilled the beans to the media. Bottom line is, losing creates tension, which sometimes spills over.

5) Eric Kahane, a gourmet food businessman from southern California, went 5-0 in Week 17 and won $1.4M in the Westgate SuperContest football handicapping contest, beating over 3,100 handicappers in the process.

4) Jacksonville Jaguars are only NFL team without a player in the Hall of Fame.

3) Odd Fact of the Day: In 2018, Cincinnati had 20 more inches of rain than Seattle did.

2) Interesting sidebar to Eagles-Bears playoff game Sunday is that the two head coaches worked together for seven years under Andy Reid, in KC/Philly. Couple of QB gurus who are having lot of success this season working with very young quarterbacks.

1) Looking at NFL Wild Card weekend, over last four years, home side won 12 of 16 games, going 6-6 vs spread as a home favorite in those games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, January 4


Dallas @ Boston

Game 525-526
January 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
114.476
Boston
126.689
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 12
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 5
217 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-5); Under

Utah @ Cleveland

Game 527-528
January 4, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
120.172
Cleveland
109.644
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 10 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 8
208
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(-8); Over

Brooklyn @ Memphis

Game 529-530
January 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
111.603
Memphis
120.202
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 8 1/2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 4 1/2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(-4 1/2); Under

Washington @ Miami

Game 531-532
January 4, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
113.210
Miami
125.181
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 12
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 6 1/2
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-6 1/2); Under

Orlando @ Minnesota

Game 533-534
January 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
107.710
Minnesota
111.382
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 6
212
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+6); Over

Indiana @ Chicago

Game 535-536
January 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
120.555
Chicago
104.916
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 15 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 6
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-6); Over

Atlanta @ Milwaukee

Game 537-538
January 4, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
110.080
Milwaukee
127.243
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 17
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 13 1/2
231
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-13 1/2); Under

LA Clippers @ Phoenix

Game 539-540
January 4, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
120.703
Phoenix
118.203
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 2 1/2
238
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 4 1/2
231
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(+4 1/2); Over

New York @ LA Lakers

Game 541-542
January 4, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
106.360
LA Lakers
117.998
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 11 1/2
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 8 1/2
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(-8 1/2); Over

Oklahoma City @ Portland

Game 543-544
January 4, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
123.702
Portland
121.662
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 1
222 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(+1); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 4

Dallas is 3-2 in its last five games, 6-1 vs spread in its last seven; they covered four of last five road games. Under is 3-0-1 in their last four games. Boston won four of its last six games; they covered their last three home games. Last 11 Celtic games went over the total. Celtics won four of last five games with Dallas; over is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Mavericks covered three of their last four visits to Boston.

Jazz split their last ten games; they’re 1-4-1 vs spread in last six road games. Eight of their last ten games stayed under. Cavaliers lost their last seven games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Four of their last six games went over. Home side won last nine Utah-Cleveland games; Jazz is 2-2-1 vs spread in last five visits to Ohio. Last five series games stayed under the total.

Brooklyn won 10 of its last 13 games; they’re 5-4 vs spread in last nine road games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Grizzlies lost 10 of their last 13 games; they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Nets won three of their last four games with Memphis; Brooklyn covered its last four visits to Tennessee. Five of last six series games went over the total.

Washington is 4-9 in its last 13 games; they’re 0-7 vs spread in last seven road games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Miami won seven of its last nine games; they’re 9-2 vs spread in last 11 road games. Nets’ last five games went over the total. Heat won seven of last ten games with the Wizards; last four series games went over the total. Wizards are 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to Miami.

Magic won three of their last four games; they’re 8-3 vs spread in their last 11 road games. Four of last six games went over. Timberwolves are 4-9 in their last 13 games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight home games. Eight of their last nine games went over the total. Minnesota won three of their last four games with Orlando (over 3-1). Magic covered its last five trips to the Twin Cities.

Indiana won five in row, 12 of last 14 games; they’re 4-0-1 vs spread in last five road games. Four of their last five games went over. Chicago split its last eight games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Pacers won six of last seven games with the Bulls; they’re 1-4 vs spread in their last five visits to Chicago. Seven of last nine series games stayed under the total.

Hawks are 5-3 in their last eight games, 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Milwaukee won eight of last nine games, covered last four; they’re 4-0-1 vs spread in last five home games. Three of their last four home games went over. Bucks won their last four games with Atlanta, but Hawks covered seven of last eight series games; Atlanta is 4-1 vs spread in last five visits to Milwaukee. Four of last six series games went over total.

Clippers are 4-7 in their last 11 games, 7-5-1 vs spread in last 13 road games. Five of their last seven games went over total. Suns lost their last four games, all at home (0-3-1 vs spread); four of their last five games went over. Clippers won their last ten games with Phoenix (8-2 vs spread); they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to the desert. Four of last six series games stayed under the total.

New York lost its last eight games (2-6 vs spread); they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten road games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. James is still out for the Lakers, who are 4-7 in last 11 games, 2-4 vs spread in last six home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Knicks won six of last eight games with the Lakers; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five series games played here. Last four series games went over the total.

Thunder won seven of their last ten games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. Trailblazers won three of their last four games; they’re 5-6 vs spread in last 11 home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Portland won/covered its last six games with Oklahoma City; three of last four series games stayed under the total. Thunder is 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Portland.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, January 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Utah Jazz
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Utah's last 10 games
Utah is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Utah is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games on the road
Utah is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Utah is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Utah's last 21 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games at home
Cleveland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Utah
Cleveland is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Utah
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cleveland's last 21 games when playing at home against Utah

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Dallas is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Dallas is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Boston
Dallas is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Boston
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 9 games when playing Boston
Dallas is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Dallas is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games
Boston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Dallas
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Boston is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games when playing Dallas
Boston is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
Boston is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Dallas

Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Indiana's last 17 games
Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 8 games on the road
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Indiana is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago's last 12 games
Chicago is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games at home
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Chicago is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Indiana

Orlando Magic
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games
Orlando is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Orlando is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Minnesota
Orlando is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games at home
Minnesota is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home
Minnesota is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Orlando
Minnesota is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Orlando
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando

Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Brooklyn is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Brooklyn is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games on the road
Brooklyn is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
Brooklyn is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing Memphis
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
Memphis is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Memphis's last 8 games
Memphis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Memphis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Memphis is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
Memphis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
Memphis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

Washington Wizards
Washington is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games
Washington is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Washington is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
Washington is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Miami
Washington is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 9 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Washington
Miami is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami's last 9 games when playing at home against Washington

Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Atlanta is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Atlanta is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing Milwaukee
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Atlanta is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Atlanta's last 22 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games at home
Milwaukee is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Milwaukee's last 22 games when playing at home against Atlanta

Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Clippers's last 8 games
LA Clippers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games on the road
LA Clippers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Clippers's last 8 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Phoenix is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Phoenix is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Phoenix is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games at home
Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

New York Knicks
New York is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
New York is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New York's last 8 games on the road
New York is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
New York is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 8 games
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Lakers is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games at home
LA Lakers is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing New York
LA Lakers is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing at home against New York

Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Oklahoma City is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Portland
Oklahoma City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
Oklahoma City is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland
Oklahoma City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games
Portland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, January 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS (18 - 19) at BOSTON (22 - 15) - 1/4/2019, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-1 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTAH (18 - 20) at CLEVELAND (8 - 30) - 1/4/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 54-78 ATS (-31.8 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
UTAH is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 59-81 ATS (-30.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 24-46 ATS (-26.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 23-40 ATS (-21.0 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 28-42 ATS (-18.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-0 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 2-2 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BROOKLYN (18 - 21) at MEMPHIS (18 - 19) - 1/4/2019, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 3-2 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 3-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (15 - 23) at MIAMI (18 - 18) - 1/4/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) on Friday nights this season.
WASHINGTON is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 111-89 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 6-3 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORLANDO (17 - 20) at MINNESOTA (17 - 21) - 1/4/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games in January games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 44-26 ATS (+15.4 Units) in road games against Northwest division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 3-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIANA (25 - 12) at CHICAGO (10 - 28) - 1/4/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 72-52 ATS (+14.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 228-169 ATS (+42.1 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-4 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 7-3 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (11 - 26) at MILWAUKEE (26 - 10) - 1/4/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 416-484 ATS (-116.4 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 142-180 ATS (-56.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 59-103 ATS (-54.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-1 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 4-3 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA CLIPPERS (21 - 16) at PHOENIX (9 - 30) - 1/4/2019, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 Units) after allowing 130 points or more since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 19-32 ATS (-16.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 230 over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 8-23 ATS (-17.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 8-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 10-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (9 - 29) at LA LAKERS (21 - 17) - 1/4/2019, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 2-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 2-2 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKLAHOMA CITY (24 - 13) at PORTLAND (22 - 16) - 1/4/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 42-56 ATS (-19.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 7-1 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 7-1 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UTA at CLE 07:30 PM
U 208.5

DAL at BOS 08:00 PM
DAL +5.0
U 215.0

WAS at MIA 08:00 PM
MIA -7.5
O 213.5

ORL at MIN 08:00 PM
ORL +5.0
O 212.5

IND at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +6.5
U 201.0

BK at MEM 08:00 PM
O 204.0

ATL at MIL 08:30 PM
ATL +13.0
O 230.5

LAC at PHO 09:00 PM
LAC -4.5
O 233.5

OKC at POR 10:30 PM
POR -1.0
U 223.0

NY at LAL 10:30 PM
O 224.5

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHA at DEN 05:00 PM
DEN -9.5
O 219.5

UTA at DET 07:00 PM
UTA -3.5
U 208.5

DAL at PHI 07:30 PM
PHI -7.0
U 227.0

NO at CLE 08:00 PM
NO -9.0
O 223.5

TOR at MIL 08:30 PM
TOR +5.0
U 225.5

MEM at SA 08:30 PM
SA -9.5
O 203.5

HOU at POR 10:00 PM
HOU -1.0
O 217.5

GS at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC +7.5
U 238.5

[StarDust Bum]

Nikola Jokic has season-high 39 points, Nuggets top Hornets
January 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam each scored 30 points, with Siakam setting a career high, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 123-116 on Saturday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the NBA standings.

Serge Ibaka added 25 points and nine rebounds, Fred VanVleet had 21 points, and Danny Green 12 points and nine rebounds. The Raptors slowly took charge in the second and third quarters and withstood the Bucks' comeback attempt in the fourth.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 43 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee. Malcolm Brogdon added 15 points, and Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe each had 14. The Bucks had won five straight.

Milwaukee was coming off a 144-112 victory over Atlanta on Friday night, while Toronto had a day to rest following a 125-107 loss to the Spurs on Thursday night in Leonard's return to San Antonio.

The Raptors put it away with a 15-2 run, taking a 110-98 lead on Siakam's wide-open 3 from the corner with 5:14 to play.

Trailing by as much as 13, the Bucks opened the fourth quarter with a 14-4 run, capped by Antetokounmpo's layup and 3-pointer, and led 96-95 with 8:12 left.

NUGGETS 123, HORNETS 110

DENVER (AP) - Nikola Jokic scored a season-high 39 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, reserve Paul Millsap added 18 and Western Conference-leading Denver beat Charlotte for its 10th straight home victory.

At 26-11, the Nuggets are off to their best NBA start in franchise history. This also marks the latest they've been in first place in the conference since March 16, 1977.

Jokic also had six assists, three steals and one blocked shot. He was 16 of 29 from the floor and 4 of 5 from the line. Kemba Walker had 20 points for the Hornets in the first game of a six-game.

76ERS 106, MAVERICKS 100

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Joel Embiid had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists to help Philadelphia beat Dallas.

Embiid hit two key free throws late for Philadelphia, which was without Jimmy Butler for the second straight game due to an upper respiratory infection. Philadelphia improved to 17-3 at home.

Wesley Matthews had 18 points for Dallas. The Mavericks are 3-18 on the road.

JAZZ 110, PISTONS 105

DETROIT (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half, and Utah rallied from an 18-point, second-quarter deficit to beat Detroit.

The Jazz nearly squandered an 11-point lead of their own in the final quarter, allowing the Pistons to cut the lead to one on a 3-pointer by Blake Griffin. Ricky Rubio made two free throws for Utah with 12.3 seconds remaining, and Detroit turned the ball over on its next possession.

Griffin scored 34 points for the Pistons.

SPURS 108, GRIZZLIES 88

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Derrick White scored 19 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 and San Antonio overcame a sluggish start to beat Memphis, handing the Grizzlies their fifth straight loss.

San Antonio won for the 12th time in 15 games.

Mike Conley had 21 points in 25 minutes for Memphis.

PELICANS 133, CAVALIERS 98

CLEVELAND (AP) - Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle both scored 22 points and New Orleans handed Cleveland its ninth straight loss.

The defeat came a night after Cavaliers coach Larry Drew and his players held a lengthy meeting following a 26-point loss to Utah. Cleveland is an NBA-worst 8-32.

Anthony Davis had 20 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans. Jordan Clarkson led Cleveland with 23 points.

BLAZERS 110, ROCKETS 101

WARRIORS 127, KINGS 123